I’m going to ask myself the question I think some of you may have thought about. Shelley, I see you’re giving rules and things you pay attention to while writing, but what I want to know is what are your snags? How do you deal with writer’s block? How do you continue to be inspired to keep going with the story you’re writing? Well, well, well. Let’s hit it! The answer is I am a writer. I can write ALL day. I can go without food for hours, without drinking anything for hours,

I know I'm behind, but I'm trying hard to catch up. There are somethings that are unavoidable, and these issues usually arise more over the weekend than in the week. Characterization is everything to a good book. If I can’t absorb readers’ interest in my main characters, they won’t continue reading. I can list a few things that I’ve noticed turns a reader off when it comes to characters. Here are the main two that I will list on this thread. 1. The character is an adult, but

More than once I have mentioned rules. While I’m writing, I realize that I subconsciously think about these rules, because remembering them when I need to will eliminate me having to rewrite chapters and scenes. Today I want to discuss another firm rule that I have, and that rule is never write what I want. There’s a difference in writing what you know versus what you want. The reason I don’t write what I want is because we are all individuals. What I like, someone else might

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day. For all of you who enjoyed your day, I want to extend more happiness in your direction, because there is nothing like love. On yesterday a former student of a high school in Florida killed seventeen students and staff. For that reason I couldn’t bring myself to post on this blog. There has always been violence in the world. When I was in school back in the ’70s and early ’80s, I never remember being afraid of a shooting happening at my schools.

I’ve learned long ago that there are rules that are followed that can be seen in all bestselling books. I also learned that there are other rules that are flexible and at a writer’s discretion. One of those moments comes along when I’m deciding to cut to the chase or side step to my own tune while writing different scenes. If a writer is anything like me, they have moments when instead of simply writing a scene, we see it so vividly that we want to include all that we see. Th

The beginning of every book is more important than its middle and ending when it comes to readers, and its importance is what authors will focus on when starting a manuscript. This is not to say that authors neglect the middle or ending, but it’s the beginning of a book that will either make you or break you. If an author can’t keep the majority of readers reading the first chapters, the reader definitely isn’t going to stay with the book for its middle or ending. Bluntly pu

There are different forms of fiction. The story I’m writing during the next thirty days falls under literary. Literary has a different flow. In my opinion, a book of literary fiction causes the reader to think, to explore a character’s point of view, which most times is on a common subject that has many ways of looking at it. To pull this off, the author never includes his personal view point, because at all times an author must stay true to the story and its plot. The only r

When I’m writing a story, I usually write it in layers. The first way that I construct each chapter is only a rough draft. I have never written a chapter that couldn’t be improved, which means I have never written a story to the end without going back and revising it or rewriting certain parts over and over again. On day one, I wrote the first chapter then continued to write as the voices shared things and each scene unfolded. I like to call the initial chapter I wrote the bo

Yesterday was the Superbowl. Did you watch it? Pacing is important to a book, because it represents the time occurring between the events happening in my story. Fast reads usually have a fast pace. Have you noticed how fast you read when you’re reading a scene full of action? It’s almost like your heart and mind races in tune with the words. Readers love moments like these, because it’s the same as having an adrenaline rush. Yesterday, I told you about some of the things I’m

On the third day of writing, I stumbled onto something and thought I had to share it with all of you. When I write a book, I do not do an outline first or anything like that. I’m a strict pantser. I wing it. I listen to the voices and allow them to tell the story to me. While I was writing today, I noticed that the voices were contradicting themselves. Let’s use Edouard’s age as an example. When I opened the book, I thought Edouard was about twelve and Andreu was nine, but as